Scottish Produce Mark FAQs

Yes, the Scottish Crofting Produce mark has been developed and promoted by the SCF. Therefore, membership is needed to join. SCF membership has many other advantages too. From legal advice, copies of The Crofter magazine, as well as supporting an organisation dedicated to crofting are just some of the other benefits to membership. If you are not a member, why not join up to help support the Scottish crofting community and add your produce to the SCP Mark.

By joining the SCP Mark, it can help showcase crofting to the general public. To many, the concept of crofting is unfamiliar and the ability of crofters to generate a plethora of locally produced foods from the marginal lands of the Highlands and Islands is remarkable. While each croft and crofter can showcase their own story and produce through various channels, joining voices to help highlight these to the nation can help ensure crofting is recognised and celebrated for what it accomplishes.

Yes, as long as the majority of the produce is a product/made on a registered croft (or crofts) and your consumers know what they are getting (ie, that the meat is a co-operative rather than of a single origin).

To join, the produce must be from a registered croft and a member of the SCF.

No, we all have different skills. One of the benefits of joining the SCP mark is that your croft is added to the SCF website as well as promoted on our social media channels at various times over a year. We have a producers map to help showcase all of our SCP members.

Yes, you can still join even if you do not have a health scheme membership. We do promote joining a health scheme for your livestock as they have the huge benefit of demonstrating the owner’s high welfare standards and making sure you are aware of legislation and best practice methods of animal husbandry. However, we are aware that assurance schemes can have different goals that are not suitable for all crofters. If you are not under an assurance scheme for your cattle, you can still join the SCP Mark but it can be good to create an up-to-date health plan. There are several templates that can be used to help create a health plan for your animals.

If the majority of the product or the labour involved has been done on a registered croft, you can apply for the SCP Mark. Food and drink can include fresh, frozen, fermented, cured, distilled, preserved, or smoked to name a few different methods used. Once you have submitted the application form, and your produce meets the criteria, you will receive confirmation from the SCF.  

The criteria for the SCP Mark is that the majority of your product or labour is from a croft. So, if the fish has been caught in the sea and is sold fresh, then no, the majority of the produce nor the labour has been done on the croft. However, if you rear fish on your croft, or you process it (e.g., salt/smoke/etc) on your croft, the majority of the labour has therefore been done on the croft and it can be applied for under SCP. All fish (and other aquatic produce) has to be legally caught and follow any environmental health regulations.

If the ostrich that you keep and the product that you sell from it follow the laws pertaining to it (e.g., ostrich requires holding a wild animal licence) and it conforms to the SCP Mark criteria, then yes.

Yes, there are particular laws regarding selling food and what information is required. Some of this can be found online at Labelling guidance for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food products | Food Standards Agency. Your local Environmental Health Officer is also someone who can help assist with this to ensure your produce has the necessary information for the consumers.

Feel free to get in touch with us at hq@crofting.org and we will be more than happy to help.